Cell-type switch having raising and lowering mechanism therefor



F. H MACNEIL 1,944,092

CELL TYPE SWITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR Jan. 16, 1934.

Filed Sept. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet l F. H. MACNEIL Jan. 16, 1934.

CELL TY PE SWITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR- 5 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Sept. 11, 1929 F. H. MACNEIL 1,944,092

CELL TYPE SWITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR Jan. 16, 1934.

, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 3 Filed Sept.

r 7 m m I Jan. 16, 1934. F, H. MACNEIL 1,944,092

CELL TYPE SWITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Sept. ll, 1929 5 Sheets$heet 4 Jan. 16, 1934. F. H. MACNEIL 1,944,092

CELL TYPE SWITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR Filed Sept. 11, 1929 5 Sheets-Sheet 5 Patented Jan. 16, 1934 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE CELL-TYPE SWVITCH HAVING RAISING AND LOWERING MECHANISM THEREFOR chusetts Application September 11, 1929 Serial No. 391,743

39 Claims.

This invention relates to electric switches of the cell-enclosed type that are adapted to be moved horizontally into and out of their enclosing cells when within the cell to be raised and lowered into and out of a circuit controlling position wherein the terminal members of the switches are in engagement with cooperating lined line terminals located within the cell. Heretofore raising lowering means for the switch have been provided which were independent of the switch and the switch has customarily been supported in circuit controlling position in the cell by some means other than the raising and lowering means.

It is an object of the present invention to provide a switch gear including a movable switch unit having, as an integral part thereof, an in-- terrupter raising and lowering means also constituting a means of support for the switch when in its elevated position in the cell.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a construction by which platen, or bracket, mounted switches can be readily adapted to this class of s'vitch gear Without altering the construction of the switch, thus making possible the modernization of many switching stations with relatively little expense.

It is a further object of the invention to provide a por able electric switch gear having raising and lowering means as an integral part thereof which is adapted to occupy a cell of minimum ve: ical dimensions, and specifically to provide an electric switch of the vertical, or bracket mounted type having its raising and lowering means dlsposed beneath. its supporting bracket and normally above the wheeled support for the switch.

A further object of the invention is the provision of a portable cell-enclosed electric switch gear adapted to be raised and lowered into and out of an elevated circuit controlling position in its cell having cooperating means carried by the switch and cell for guiding the switch in its ring and l wering movements and also for ng it rigidly against lateral movement when in elevated or circuit controlling position in the cell.

A still further object is the provision of a portable electric switch having raising and lowering means as an integral part thereof, and means governed by the open and closed condition 01" the switch arranged that the raising and lowering "leans cannot be operated either to raise or lower the switch until the switch is in fully open position. A yet further object of the invention is the provision of a portable electric switch gear having integral raising and lowering means, manually operable locking means for the raising and lowering means governed by the open and closed position of the switch, and means interconnecting the raising and lowering means and the manually operable locking means arranged to prevent the operation of the locking means and consequently the closing of the switch during the raising and lowering movements of the switch.

Ayet further object is generally to improve the construction and performance of electric switches.

1 is a side elevation of an electric switch raising and lowering mechanism therefor embed .ng the invention, the enclosing cell for the switch being shown in section.

Fig. 2 is a plan view of the raising and lowering mechanism in the switch lowered position thereof.

Figs. 3 and 4 are side and end elevations respectively of the raising and lowering mechanism of Fig. 2.

Fig. 5 is a detail showing the jack guide and stop member.

6 is a detailed elevation showing the manually operated control means for the locking mechanism of the raising and lowering means.

Fig. 7 is a detail of the raising and lowering mechanism in partly lowered position.

Fig. 8 is a similar View of the raising and lowg mechanism in the fully raised position.

Fig. 9 is a sectional elevation showing the pinion lock for the raising and lowering means in looking position.

10 is a perspective view showing a part of enclosing cell structure and illustrating the guiding means for controlling the movements of the switch in the cell.

Fig. 11 is a detail of the rear truck wheel and 5 Y constituting the rear support for the switch unit.

Fig. 12 is a perspective view of the switch supportin and'guidlng frame.

13 is a perspective detail of the cover for the gearing of the raising and lowering mechanismof the switch.

Fig. 14 is a section taken along line I l-14 of I Fig. 2.

The enclosing structure for the switch comprises the back wall 10, the top wall 12, the side walls 13, the front wall 14. The latter wall comprises the front closure for the cell and is carried by and is removable with the switch. A pair of insulating bushings 16 for each phase of the switch are carried by the top wall 12 and have conducting studs 18 which constitute fixed terminals of the line controlled by the switch. The lower ends of said bushings are extended into the switch cell and are provided with contact members 20 which form the stationary switch members of disconnecting switches of which the upper terminals of the main switch form the movable members.

The main switch or interrupter is of the three phase oil immersed type and comprises an enclosing casing having the three separate phase oil receptacles 24 and the switch frame 26 which comprise a cover for an is comon to and supports all of said receptacles. Said oil receptacles are supported removably beneath said switch frame each by means of two tie rods 25 which depend from said switch frame and pass through outstanding bosses on transverse tank supporting members 23. Switch terminals including the insulating bushings 29 are carried by said switch frame and extend thereabove and have contact members 36 at their upper ends which engage the contact members 26 of the line terminals -when the switch, or interrupter, is in its elevated position within the cell. Electrically operated opening and closing mechanism 32 including the closing solenoid 32a, its plunger 32b and its operating lever 320, is carried by the switch frame 26 on the outer face of the front wall 14 and is connected by a horizontal link 34, pivoted to the lever 320, with an operating shaft 36 of the switch mechanism which is located within the switch casing.

As herein shown, the switch or interrupter is of the panel, or platen, mounted type and the switch frame 26 thereof is provided with a forwardly extending bracket 38 which terminates in a vertical flanged platen 40 by which the switch is adapted to be supported on a vertical switch supporting and elevating frame. Said frame, as shown most clearly in Fig. 12, includes as an integral structure the vertical angles 42 which are spaced apart by and are welded to an upper horizontal angle 44, and a lower T-shaped member 46 which comprises a pair of horizontal angles placed back to back and which are arranged to present a common lower horizontal face 48. A horizontal angle 49 extends between 'said angles 42 just below said platen 46 and a pair of vertical bars 50 are secured thereto and to said angle 44 to which said switch platen 40 is secured removably by means of bolts at 51.

Said frame is also provided with a pair of for- -ward1y outstanding brackets 50a, angular in section, which support a horizontal angle 50b their forward ends to which are secured four upstanding angles 50c. Said latter angles constitute the support for movable auxiliary contact members 50d, Fig. l, with which the present invention is not concerned.

The raising and lowering means for the interrupter and its supporting frame include duplicate pairs of vertical thrust toggles spaced side by side. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2 and 3, each pair of toggles includes the toggle links 52 which are pivotally supported at their upper ends on a transverse rod 53 journalled in the depending bifurcations of an upper crutch member 54, and the lower toggle links 56 which are similarly pivotally supported on a transverse rod 57 which is likewise journalled in a similar but inverted crutch member 58. Said upper crutch member 54 is formed with an upper flat horizontal surface 54a which is adapted to be secured to the lower flat surface 48 of frame member 46 intermediate the ends thereof. The lower crutch member is provided with a similar fiat horizontal lower surface 58a which engages the cell floor and constitutes the sole point of support for the switch on the floor as the switch is being raised and lowered in the cell. The free ends of links 52 and 56 comprising the front and rear toggles of each pair are pivoted on cylindrical trunnions 60 and 62 respectively of squared blocks 64 and 66 which lie between and space apart the duplicate pairs of toggles. A shaft 68 is rotatably extended through the squared block 64 of the front toggles and has a screw-threaded end 70 that is screw threaded into the squared block 66 of the rear toggles. A collar '72 and a thrust ball bearing '73 located on said shaft on either side of block 64 permit free rotation of said shaft in the blocks while preventing axial displacement of the shaft. Said shaft 66 is rotated by means including a spur gear '74, see e33. cially 14, which is keyed on the end of ti shaft between the thrust bearing 73 and the outstanding flange 68a of a sleeve 6% that is welded on the end of the shaft, thereby to form a thrust-abutment to support the gear against axial movement on the shaft. A pinion gear '75 meshes with the spur gear and is carried by a shaft '77 which has a transversely-extended pin 77a that is adapted to be engaged by a crank, not shown, for rotating the shaft and consequently raising and lowering the switch. shaft '77 is journalled at one end in an upstanding bracket 76 which is carried by the block 64 and at the other end in a gearcover 76a, see Fig. 13, removably secured to said bracket 76 and surrounding and enclosing the gears. The forward end of said screw-threaded shaft 68 is also journalled on said cover.

The interrupter is raised and lowered in the cell by rotating said pinion gear shaft '77 and consequently its associated shaft 68. It will be apparent that when the shaft 68 is rotated in one direction by the pinion 75, the intermediate ends of each pair of toggles carried by the trunnions 60 and 62 will be drawn toward each other, thus to straighten the toggles and raise the interrupter. When the shaft is rotated in the reverse direction the toggles will be collapsed, thus to lower the interrupter.

When the toggles are in the witch lowered or collapsed condition as shown in Fig. 3, the interrupter is adapted to be supported on the cell floor independently of the jack, the lower crutch member occupying a position slightly elevated above the T1001. To this end, a pair of front wheel brackets 78 having the relatively large truck wheels 80 rotatably jcurnalled thereon are secured to and depend below the T-shaped member 46 of the switch elevating and supporting frame near the front ends thereof and closely adjacent the cell walls 13. A single wheeled support (Fig. 11) is provided for the switch at the rear comprising a pair of wheels 82 spaced apart by a supporting lever 83 at the ends of which said wheels are rotatably suported on a An adjusting screw 84 vated by the raising and lowering means above its supporting wheels the lower crutch member 58 constitutes the sole support for the switch on the floor of the cell. Accordingly, cooperating fixed movable guide members carried by the cell and switch respectively are provided for the lateral support of the switch and for maintaining the alignment of the stationary and movable disconnects as the tch raised and lowered in the cell. Said movable guiding members include duplicate pairs of upper and lower ver tically guide-1ollers and 87 carried by said switch elevating and supporting frame closely adjacent the spaced side walls 13 of the enclosing cell. upper guide rollers 86 are journalled on shafts 83 carried by rearwardly extending brackets 89 which are secured to the upper horizontal angle 14 or" saidframe, as by welding. The lower guide rolls 8'7 are journalled on shafts 90 carried by brackets 92 which are extended rea wardly of and are formed integrally with the ront vheel brackets '78. Said lower brackets each further provided with somewhat smaller pilot rollers 93 which are disposed in the vertical plane as, but slightly back or in the re of, rollers 87.

As shown most clearly in Fig. 10, the stationary guiding which cooperate with said lovable guide rollers include pairs of confronting vertical guide strips which are located on the side walls 1c in position to cooperate with the guide rollers by the movable switch unit. The stationary guiding means carried by the side walls 13 in de a pair of vertical angles 94 and 96 having ed parallel vertical legs thereof projecting o the cell and between which the movable guide rciers 36 and 3'7 are adapted to be constrained vertical movement of the switch. Th ardly projecting leg of the foremost guide 94 provided with a cutout portion 9'? at the lower end thereof through which the lower guide roller 87 is adapted to pass in the horizontal movement of the switch on its truck wheels into the cell and the guide strip 96 is provide similar but somewhat lower which is adapted to permit forward guid. .el 87 s to pa Said guide strip 94 is similarly provided near its upper end with cut-out portion 99 which is horizontally aligned with the up :er guide roller 86 in the lowered position of i e switch. A bearing plate 130 is secured to surface of the projecting leg of guide ip 94 which. is above the cut-out portion 9? thereof against which the guide roller 87 is adapted to bear during the vertical movement the interrupter. A similar plate 132 is secured to the front face of the projecting leg or guide strip 96 in position to be similarly engaged by the upper guide roller 86. A third bearing plate 1.64 is carried by guide 96 above at the rear of the cut-out porll be evident due to the single of interrupter on the cell floor provided by the c" *ch member 58, at the front of the switch, that no lower guide rollers 87 and 93 will. bear against the bearing plates 100, 104 while the upper ui e roller 86 will bear against its bear' plate 104. Said guide strips 94 and 96 are a iapted to be spaced apart more than the diameter of th guide rollers 86 and 87 whereby to prevent frictional engagement of the guide rollers 86 and 87 with guide strips 94 and 96 roller 93. point sup i during the vertical movement of the interrupter. It is desirable to prevent any lateral movement of the switch or interrupter when it is in circuit controlling position wherein the terminal disconnecting switches are in engagement and, to this end, spacer bars 106 and 108 are provided in horizontal alignment with the pivot points 88 and 90 of said guide rollers when they are in their uppermost position in the cell. The thickness of said spacer plates is adapted to be such that the guide rollers 86 and 87 are held rigidly in position when in engagement therewith whereby horizontal movement of the interrupter unit will be prevented during opening and closing of the interrupter. Horizontal plates 10'? are secured by welding between said vertical guide strips 94 and 96, the lowermost of which is provided with forwardly and rearwardly extended bevelled guide portions 107a which are adapted to be engaged by the rods 25 of the interrupter whereby the interrupter will be guided past the vertical strips 94 and 96 on entering and leaving the cell. A further horizontal guide member comprising a bar 109 is disposed on the floor of the cell in position to be received between the spaced rollers 82 of the rear wheel support of the switch, as shown in 11. Said bar is provided with a suitably tapered front engaging portion and is further provided with an upright triangular section 110 (Fig. 10) which is disposed below the rear truck wheels as the switch is lowered in the cell thus to assist in aligning the wheels 82 with the guide bar 109 for subsequent withdrawal from the cell.

The switch unit is further guided at its upper portion for movement into the cell by means of the bevelled extensions 111 (Fig. 12) of the upper brackets 89 the outer bevelled portions of which are adapted to cooperate with the bearing plates 102 of the vertical guide strips or tracks carried by the cell.

In accordance with this invention, means are provided to lock the raising and lowering mechanism against operation except when the interrupter is in its fully open position. To this end, a locking member or plunger 112 (Fig. 9) is slidably mounted in bracket '76 above said pinion 75. Said plunger is provided at its lower face with a wedge-shaped end portion 114 which is aligned with and simulates in shape the interdental shape ofsaid pinion '75 whereby upon being l0w ered said end portion 114 engages the gear-teeth of pinion '75 and locks the pinion against rotation as shown in Fig. 9. The pinion bracket 75 is provided with an integral upstanding bracket 116 which has pivoted thereto at 117 a rocking lever 118, one end of which is pivoted between the bifurcations 119 of the upper end of said locking member 112. A pin 120, see Fig. 4, carried by said bifurcations passes transversely through an enlarged hole 121 in said arm 118 whereby to provide a lost-motion connection between said rocking arm and said plunger 1 2.

Means are provided for manually rocking said arm 118 to raise'and lower said locking plunger 112 into and out of locking engagement with pinion 75 which means is independent of move ments of the jack. Said means, as shown most clearly in Fig. 6, includes a manually-operable finger bar or lever 122 which extends forwardly through a slot in said front panel 14 and is pivoted at its other end to one arm 124 of a bell crank lever carried by the switch supporting frame, the other arm 126 of which is connected by a link 128 with a lever 130 the forward exten- 1.5

sion of which constitutes the upper one of two parallel operating levers. Said lever 130 is pivoted on a shoulder crew 131 which is screwtln'eacled into the end of rod 53 of the toggle jack. lhe lower parallel lever 132 is similarly pivoted by a shoulder screw 133 to the trunnion 6U. Said parallel levers 130 and 132 are adapted to be ual in length and are connected at their free ends by a uide link 134 which is coextensive with and lies parallel to the upper toggle links 52 of the forward toggle member. As thus constructed, due to the parallel relation between links 130 and 132 the lower parallel link 132 remains substantially unafiected by the raising and lowering operations or" the jack. The rocking arm 11% of the pinion locking mechanism is adapted to be operatively connected with link 132 by means or" a lever 135 which is pivotally connected therewith at 136 whereby upon horizontal sliding movement of said manual operating bar 122 out of and into the cell the upper and lower parallel levers 130, 132 can be rocked about their pivotal supports to raise and lower said locking plunger 112 and consequently to unlock and lock said raising and lowering means from a position in front of the panel. The control of the lock is thus independent of the angularlty of the toggle bars.

In accordance with the invention, means are provided to prevent the improper operation of said raising and lowering means whereby the locking mechanism therefor is locked against operation except when the interrupter is open, at which time it is safe to disconnect the switch terminals from their cooperating line terminals. To this end, the shaft 36 of the switch operating mechanism is provided with crank arm 138 which is operable between the two positions shown in Fig. 6 by the opening and closing of the interrupter, the full line position indicating the switch open position of the interrupter. Said crank arm 138 is adapted to cooperate with an L-shaped locking arm 140 having a substantially horizontal arm thereof pivoted at 141 to a bracket carried by angle 49 of said interrupter supporting frame. Said locking arm 140 is pivotally connected intermediate its ends to a lever 144 which is provided at its other end with a lug 145 which is pivoted to the end of arm 125 of said manually operable bell crank lever. As shown particularly in 6, in the full line or switch open position of the crank arm 138 the upstanding locking arm 146 or said locking lever is free to move into a position behind the end of the lug 148 of the switch operating rod 32 which is pivotally connected to the free end of crank arm 138. In this position of the locking bar, the manually operable finger rod 122 has been pulled outwardly from the cell until a notch 150 in the lower edge thereof has engaged the edge of panel 14, in which position the manual lever will remain in the unlocked position and parallel levers 136, 132 will have been rotated in a counter-clockwise direction thus to rotate the rocking arm 118 in a clockwise direction and elevate the locking plunger 112 free from looking engagement within pinion 75. In this position of the mechanism it is impossible to close the interrupter until the lever 122 has been pushed rearwardly into the cell into a position wherein the pinion '75 is lock d and the locking lever 140 is below and out of a position behind the lug 148 of the crank arm 138. When the locking mechanism has been moved to locked position, the breaker can be moved to closed position wherein the crank arm 138 will be moved counter-clockwise in Fig. 6 into the dotted position in which position of the parts it will be impossible to operate the manual lever 122 to release the pinion lock since the lug 148 is disposed above and obstructs the upward movement of arm 146 and prevents counterclockwise rotation of the locking arm 140. Thus, it is evident that the locking mechanism for the raising and lowerin means can be operated only when the interrupter is open, and that when the raising means has been unlocked the breaker can not be closed until the raising and lowering means is again locked.

A further safeguard is provided to prevent the operation of the manually controlled locking means for the raising and lowering means, whereby the operator is prevented from changing the position of the interlock for the raising and lowering means except in the fully raised or fully lowered positions of the interrupter, thus to prevent the closing of the interrupter when the contact members of the line disconnects are midway between their engaged and disen aged positions. To this end, the upper crutch member 54 is provided with an outstanding bracket 152 wh'ch is disposed behind the upper parallel lever 130 as viewed in Fig. 3. As shown most clearly in Figs. '7 and 8, a pin-locking lever 154 is pivoted intermediate its ends to the extended end of bracket 152 between said bracket and said upper parallel lever 130 and is provided with a flared end por tion 156 which is adapted to pass beneath a pin 158 of the rearwardly extended end or lever 130 during the progress of the jack from fully lowered to fully raised position. Said lever 154 at other end is pivotally connected at 160 with a link 162 which in turn is pivotally connected to the upper toggle link 52 at 164. The pivot points 153 of said pin locking lever and the pivot point 164 are adapted to be substantially equi-distant from the upper pivotal shaft 53 cf the toggle links. The operation of the interlocking mechanism which controls the pinion lock during its vertical travel between fully raised and fully lowered positions is best illustrated in Figs. 3, 7 and 8. In Fig. 3. the raising and lowering means is in its fully lowered position wherein the pin locking lever 154 is free from the path of travel of the pin 158 in which position the locking means for the raising and lowering can be freely moved between locked and unlocked positions, providing, of course, that the interrupter is in the open position. To raise the interrupter from the position shown in Fig. 3 into a circuit controlling position in the cell it is first necessary to open the interrupter, in position the crank arm 138 will be free from interference with arm 146 of the locking lever 140, permitting the latter to be moved into the full line position of Fig. 6. the position shown in the dotted lines of 3 and, upon initial operation of the shaft 68 to straighten the lifting toggles, the mechanism will be brought into a position illustrated in 7 wherein the flared end portion 156 of the pinlocking lever 154 has been rotated counterclockwi e into a position beneath the pin 158. Since the pin-locking lever 154 prevents the manual operation of the bar 122, and the locking lever 140 prevents the operation of the breaker, there is nothing for the operative to. do but to either raise or lower the breaker to its fully raised or fully lowered position. When the shaft 68 has been rotated sufiiciently to bring the toggle links into the position shown in Fig. 8, wherein the The upper parallel lever will now be in switch is in its fully raised position, the flared end portion 156 of the pin-locking lever is in front of and out of the path of travel of the pin 158 and the manual locking bar 122 can be operated to lower the pinion loci: 112, in which position of the mechanism the interrupter may be closed.

Since only a small amount oi VfililCill mevement is required to release the plunger 112 from looking engag out with the gear 75, the lostrnotion connect between plunger and its operating arm 1-8, provided by the enlarged hole 121, enables th other parts of the interlocking mechanism to be operated before the jaclr -screw can be rotated, thus to pre it to the locking mechanism, and the i g and low ing of the switch when it is closed, which be done if the jack-screw was released at the start of the unlocking operation with the pin 153 of the locking mechanism still in front of the pin locking lever 15d.

Since the r ising and lowering mechanism is pivotally supp ed above the floor by the shaft 53 of the upper crutch member 54, means are provided, operable before the 10* or crutch member or leg 58 leaves the cell floor in the lowered position of the switch, to *estrain the toggle mechanism from pivotal movement about shaft 53. As shown most clearly in Figs. 2, 4 and 5, said means co iprises a toggle guide and stop member comprising a vertical bar 165 whic is secured by bolts 168 to the left (Fig. 4;) of the upper crutc 54. and which is extended downwar ly therebelow into a position wherein the lower toggle shaft 57 is received within a vertical slot 17% in the lower end thereof, just prior to the eng ement of of the interrupter ith the cell floor, whereby the lower crutch member 58, when it is elevated from the cell iioor into the position oi 3, guided into slot rotating about the upper toggle shaft 53. The depth of said slot is so arranged that the bottom of the slot constitutes a stop to limit further movement of the toggle in a collapsing direction, the crutch 58 in this position being above the i105? whereby to permit withdrawal of the switch from the cell free from the raising and lowering means.

A detachable protective covering 176 is disposed about the operashaft 75 of the raising and lowering shown in Fig. 1, which also carries a lower removable front panel section.

Wh n the jack is o, erated to elevate the switch within the cell, the crutch 58 is first lowered onto the floor of the cell and pressed thereagainst. The front end of the switch then moves upward- 1y, pivoting about the rear wheels 82, until the top rolls and wheels bear against the rear track. s moi icnt also raises the pivot wheels high eno above ti entrance openings in the rear tracl s to tracks above the openings, thereby to support the bottom of the 'tch forward mev cut, so that the switch can not tilt i" .rther. Continued upward movement in bottom large wheels 87 above their entrance rings in the front tracks so that they car J the plates or the rear of said -cits and thus support the switch in hereinafter set forth. When the an is n Lilly raised posi tion, the large upper and lower wheels are wedged between the two tracks so that the switch is 1'76 and is prevented from' thus firmly held accurately in position against horizontal displacement.

The switch is arrested in its vertical movem nt by engagement of cooperating parts of the lifting mechanism and, the specific construction here described, by the engagement of the collar "(2 and the block 66. This arrangement prevents any strain. between the switch and the cell structure which might occur, for instance, if the switch were forced against an abutment carried by the cell.

Various modifications in the construction and arrangement of the apparatusmay be made without departin from the scope of the invention.

1 claim:

1. In a cell enclosed electric switch gear the combination of a portable switching unit including a vertical supporting frame, a platen mounted circuit interrupter carried by and extended below said frame, wheeled supports carried by said frame and interrupter for supporting the unit for horizontal movement on a floor, collapsible raising and lowering means for said interrupter carried by and forming an integral part of said frame and having its point of attachment with said frame above the bottom of the switch, said raising and lowering means having means normally disposed above the floor and movable vertically downwardly into engagement therewith to effect the raising of said unit, and cooperating means carried by said switching unit and cell which act in conjunction with said raising and lowering means to support said switch in an elevated circuit controlling position in said cell.

2. Switching means for an electric circuit including a stationary enclosing structure having line terminals therein, a movable switch structure having terminal contacts adapted to engage said line terminals in a certain elevated position of said switch structure, wheeled supports for said movable switch structure for effecting horizontal movement thereof into and out of said enclosing structure, means carried by said switch structure as an integral part thereof and normally disposed above the floor of said enclosure arranged to raise and lower said switch structure into and out of its elevated circuit controlling position, and cooperating means carried by said switch and cell structures for guiding the terminal contacts of said switch into engagement with said line terminals which also cooperate With said raising and lowering means to hold and support said switch in its raised position.

3. Switching means for an electric circuit including a stationary enclosing structure having line terminals therein, a movable switch structure having terminal contacts adapted to engage said line terminals in a certain elevated position of said switch structure, wheeled supports for said movable switch structure for effecting horizontal movement thereof into and out of said enclosing structure, and means carried by said switch structure as an integral part thereof and normally disposed above the floor of said enclosure arranged to raise and lower said switch structure into and out of its elevated circuit controlling position, said raising and lowering means having a single point of engagement with the bottom of said enclosing structure, and cooperating guiding means carried by said stationary and movable structures arranged to support and guide said switch structure during its vertical movement in said enclosing structure.

4. In an electric switch gear the combination of an enclosing cell structure having fixed line terminals therein and a portable interrupter unit movable horizontally thereinto and thereafter vertioafly movable into a circuit controlling position wherein its interrupter terminals are in engagement with said line terminals, said interrupter unit including a vertical interrupter supporting and guiding frame having vertically disposed guide rollers carried thereby, and said cell structure having horizontally spaced vertical guides adapted to receive said rollers therebetween and guide the interrupter unit in its ver tical movement in the cell.

5. In an electric switch gear the combination of an enclosing cell structure having fixed line terminals therein and a portable interrupter unit movable horizontally thereinto and thereafter vertically movable into a circuit controlling position wherein its interrupter terminals are in engagement with said line terminals, said interrupter unit including a vertical interrupter supporting and guiding frame having vertically disposed guide rollers carried thereby, and said cell structure having horizontally spaced vertical guides adapted to receive said rollers therebetween and guide the interrupter unit in its vertical movement in the cell, the foremost of said vertical guides having cut-away portions in horizontal alignment with said guide rollers in the lowermost position thereof whereby to receive said rollers therebetween, the other guide acting as a roller engaging stop member limiting the horizontal movement of said interrupter into the cell.

6. In an electric switch gear, the combination of an enclosing cell structure having fixed line terminals therein, a portable circuit interrupter unit adapted to be moved horizontally into said cell and thereafter to be moved vertically therein into position to engage said line tenninals, a pair of spaced vertical guide strips carried by said cell, upper and lower guide rollers carried by said interrupter unit and adapted to be received loosely between said vertical guide strips for vertical movement therebetween, and means to prevent lateral movement of said guide rollers between said guide strips in the fully raised position of said interrupter unit comprising spacer members carried by said guide strips adjacent said rollers in the position thereof corresponding to the fully raised position of said interrupter unit.

'7. In an electric switch gear, the combination of an enclosing cell structure having line terminals, a portable circuit interrupter unit adapted to be moved vertically therein into a circuit controlling position in engagement with said line terminals, raising and lowering means for said interrupter having a single point support, a pair of spaced vertical guide strips carried by said cell, upper and lower aligned guide rollers carried by said interrupter unit and adapted to be received loosely between said strips for vertical movement therebetween, the foremost of said guide strips having cut-away portions in horizontal alignment with the lowermost position of said. upper and lower guide rollers, bearing plates carried by said guide strips in position to be engaged by said rollers in the vertical travel thereof, and spacer members disposed opposite each of said plates near the upper portion thereof, said guide rollers adapted in their uppermost position to be received closely between said plates and said spacer members.

8. In an electric switch gear, the combination of an enclosing cell structure having line terminals, a portable circuit interrupter unit adapted to be moved vertically therein into a circuit controlling position in engagement 'ith said line terminals, said interrupter unit including a vertical rupter unit constituting an integral part of said frame, raising and lowering means for said interrupter unit constituting an integral part of said disposed mainly in front of said interframe an rupter, said raisin and lowering means having a single point eccentric support with the floor during the elevation of the unit, pairs of spaced vertical guide strips carried by said cell adjacent said frame, upper and lower guide rollers carried by said frame and adapted to be received loosely between guide strips, the foremost of said strips having cut-away portions ho izontaily aligned with said rollers in the lowermost position thereof, bearing plates carried by the foremost of said guide strips over which said lower guide rollers are adapted to roll in their vertical movement betw en said strips free from contact with the rearinost guide strips, similar plates carried by said rearinost strips over which said upper rollers are adapted to roll free from said foremost guide strips, and spacer members carried by the adjacent faces of said guide strips near the upper ends of and confronting said bearing plates, whereby said relies are firmly held between said guide strips and spacer men"; ers in the uppermost circuit controlling position of the interrupter unit.

9. In an electric switch gear the combination of an enclosing cell structure, a circuit interrupting unit adapted to be moved horizontally into and out of said cell and when within said cell to be moved vertically into a circuit controlling position therein above the floor, said interrupter unit including an interrupter supporting frame having as an integral part thereof the raising and lowermeans for the interrupter, and front and rear supports carried by said interrupter unit, said rear support being disposed intermediate the cell and constituting a pair of closely spaced truck wheels, a horizontal rearwardly extended guide carried by the cell floor adapted to pass between the spaced wheels of said rear support and guide the interrupter unit into the cell, said guide bar having a portion thereof formed with converging upwardly directed side walls disposed directly beneath said rear supporting wheels when the int rupter is in an elevated position in the cell, whereby to guide said spaced rollers into guiding position on opposite sides of said bar in the lowering movement of the interrupter.

10. In a portable electric switch gear, the combination of a vertical interrupter supporting frame, a circuit interrupter carried by and spaced from the rear of said frame and depending therebelow, raising and lowering means for said switch gear fixed to the bottom of said frame and disposed beneath said frame and in front of said interrupter, a panel carried by the front of said frame, electrically actuated closing and opening means for said interrupter carried on the front face of said panel, and an operating connection for said raising and lowering means extended forwardly of and operable from the front of said panel.

ll. A portable switch gear including a circuit interrupter having a supporting and elevating frame, operating mechanism for said interrupter carried by said ranie and raising and lowering means for said interrupter carried by said frame, said raising and lowering means including a top attaching member secured to said frame, base member, a ho; zontal screw threaded operating aft between and havin a block s forw d end Journalled thereon for rotation and a s' ilar block at the other end having a screwonnection with shaft, said blocks sraliy extending trunnions each mpris he common pivotal support for a confronting verlower free ends tally connected to id top attac member and said. base member respectivel' a our: gear carried by said operating shaft, a bracket carried by said forward block supporting a pinion a pinion gear thereon operative engagement with said spur gear, a looking plunger carried by said bracket having a reduced end tion to engage and lock said pinion in a lowered position thereof and to be free from such engagement in another and elevated position thereof, ianual means forming an i:cte ,..sl part of and movable with sa d switch gear for moving plunger between pllliOl'l locking and unlock ng positions, means interconnecting said inter inter oper a mechanism and manual means which prevents the release of said manual when said operating mechanism closed and preve:ts movement of said opien manual means has been 1 ;d to pinion unlocking position, and means connectin said plunger and said manual operating means, said connecting having provision the and lowering of sa' into water while maintaining said locking plunger nee movement.

12. A portable elect ic switch gear including a vertical frame, interrupter carried by said frame having operating mechanism, 1" ising and lowering means for said interrupter carried by Sid and constituting an integral part of sv ch gear, said raising and lowering means a pair of confronting vertical thrust toggles ha g a com non upper pivotal connection on frame and a common lower pivotal connection, operating connecting the intermediate pi joints of said toggles adapted to be rotated in one direction to collapse said tog es in another and. opposite direction to stra iten said toggles, means carried by raising lowering means to lock said operating means against rotation, manual means car ried by said frame for moving said locking means between locked and unlocked positions, means terconnecting said interrupter operating mechand manual means arranged to prevent the improper operation of both, and lostmotion; connecting said locking means and id nianua operating means whereby to permechanism 1.

init the raising and lowering movement of said interrupter free from interference with said of confronting verti in its unlocked position, and means preventing the manual operation of said loo means for said raising and lowering means in the fully raised or the fully lowered position.

14. A portable electric switch gear adapted to be moved vertically into and out of engagement with fixed line terminals including a vertical errupter carried by said frame having terminal contact members, wheeled supports carried by said frame and interrupter by which the switch gear is adapted to be Inc/ed horizon tally along the floor, raising and lowering means aid interrupter including an upper crutch me r carried by t2 e bottom portion of said frame, a lower base member disposed tlierobeneath, an operating shaft extended horizontally therebetween having a block journalled for rotation thereon at one end and a similar block having a screw-tlireaded connection therewith its opposite end, said blocks having outwardly extending ti s providing the common pivotal supports for pairs of upper and lower toggle links each of which pair of links constitutes a vertical thrust toggle having its upper and lower ends pivotally connected with said crutch and base members respectively, a spur gear 0 rried by one end oi said shaft adjacent the foremost one of said blocks, a bracket carried byse-i-cl block ,ro 'id ing a support for a pinion having a pinion gear in operative engagement with said spur gear, a locking carried by said bracket and movable into and out of locking engagement with the teeth of said pinion gear, a manual operating lever carried by said frame for operating said locking member, and lost-motion means connecting said manual operating lever with said locking member including a system of parallel levers of which one of said upper toggle links constitutes a member, and means having an operative connection with one of said toggles and arranged to loci: said system of parallel levers against operation while said interrupter is in termediate its fully raised and fully lowered positions.

15. A portable electric switch gear including a vertical frame, an interrupter carried by said framawheeled supports carried by said frame and interrupter by which the switch gear is adapted to be moved horizontally along the floor, raising and lowering means for s id interrupter, pairs al thrust toggles having an upper pivotal support on and depending below said frame and having lower thrust member adapted to engage the floor and constitute port for the interrupter unit in its elevated posi tion above the floor, operating mechanism for raising and lowering means carried by said toggle links, and means carriedby raising and lowering means arranged to guide said raising and lowering means against lateral displacement in the collapsed condition of said toggles.

16. A11 electric switch gear which is adapted to be vertically moved to connect and disconnect its terminals with fixed line terminals including the combination of a vertical supporting fr me, an interrupter carried by said frame having terminal. contact members, ra sing and lowering means carried by the lower portion of said frame and depending therebelow, said raising and lowering means including upper and lower crutch members having laterally extending shafts constituting pivotal supports for the upper and lower ends of pairs of confronting vertical thrust toggles, operating mean connecting the intermediate joints of said toggles arranged when operated in one direction to straighten said toggles and urge said lower crutch member into engagement with a floor to elevate the interrupter, and when operated in the other and opposite direction to effect the collapsing of said toggles into a position wherein said lower crutch member is slightly elevated above the floor, and means carried by said upper crutch member including a vertical depending bar having a bifurcated lower end portion which is adapted to receive the extended end of the shaft of said lower crutch member between the bifurcations thereof prior to the engagement of the wheel supports for said interrupter with the floor, whereby to guide said lower crutch member and consequently said raising and lowering means during its horizontal movement above the floor.

17. The combination of an electric switch and raising and lowering means therefor including the combination of a pair of confronting vertical thrust toggles connected with the switch having common upper and lower pivotal supports, an operating shaft connecting the intermediate joints of said toggles having a screw threaded connection at one end with one of said toggles, actuating means for said shaft, means to lock said actuating means in positions corresponding to selected positions of the switch, and manually operable means controlling the locking and unlocking of said actuating means, said manually-operable means having provision for per mitting the raising and lowering of the switch while maintaining said locking means free from looking engagement with said actuating means.

18. The combination of an electric switch and raising and lowering means therefor including the combination of a pair of confronting vertical thrust toggles connected with the switch having vertically aligned upper and lower pivotal supports, an operating shaft connecting said toggles intermediate their ends supports having screw threaded connection with one of said toggles, actuating means for said shaft adapted when rotated in opposite directions alternately to straighten and collapse said toggles to raise and lower the switch, and means to lock said rais'ng and lowering mechanism in selected po sitions of said switch including means to lock said actuating means against rotation, manual means carried by said raising and lowering means for operating said locking means between locking and unlocking positions, said means including a system of parallel levers of which the upper toggle link of one of said toggles constitutes a part whereby the position of said looking means is unaffected by the switch raising and lowering operations.

19. The combination of an electric switch and raising and lowering means therefor including a pair of confronting vertical thrust toggles connected with the switch having vertically aligned upper and lower pivotal supports, a horizontal operating shaft connecting the intermediate joints of said toggles and having a screw threaded connection with one of said toggle joints at one end, actuating means for said shaft, and means to lock said raising and lowering means in selected positions of said switch including means for locking said actuating means and manually controlled means for operating said locking means including upper and lower parallel levers each having a pivotal support at the ends of a toggle link of one of said thrust toggles, a guide link connecting the free ends of said parallel levers. said lower parallel lever havin an operative connection with said locking means, and said upper parallel lever having an operative connection with said manual operating means.

20. The combination of an electric switch and raising and lowering means therefor including a pair of confronting vertical thrust toggles connected with the switch having vertically aligned upper and lower pivotal supports, a horizontal operating shaft connecting the intermediate joints of said toggles and having a screw threaded connection with one of said toggle joints at one end, actuating means for said shaft, and means to lock said raising and lowering mecha nisms in selected positions of said switch including means for locking said actuating means and manually controlled means for operating said cam carried by the toggle link of one of said thrust toggles and having an operative connection with another and oppositely disposed toggle link of said raising and lowering means arranged to move into locking relation with said locking projection during the switch raising and lowering operation of said raising and lowering means.

21. The combination of an electric switch and raising and lowering means therefor including a pair of confronting ver ical thrust toggles connected with the switch having vertically aligned upper and lower pivotal supports, a horizontal operating shaft connecting the intermediate joints of said toggles and having a screw-threaded connection with one of said toggle joints at levers, means connecting said upper and lower parallel levers with said manual operating means and said locking means respectively, an extension carried by said upper parallel lever having a locking projection, a locking cam carried by the toggle link of one of said thrust toggles and having an operative connection wi h another and oppositely disposed toggle link of said raising and lowering means arranged to move into locking relation with said locking projection during the switch raising and lowering operation of said raising and lowering means, whereby to prevent the operation of said manual operating means except when the switch is in either a fully raised or fully lowered position.

22. The combination of a horizontally remov- I able circuit interrupter having upper and lower guide rolls on opposite sides thereof, an enclosing cell having vertical tracks on opposite sides of the interrupter within which said rolls are movable vertically, said tracks having upper and lower entrances for said rolls, and said interrupter having self-contained and eccentrically located raising and lowering mechanism operable to elevate said interrupter in said cell and said rolls within said tracks, said rolls and said tracks in conjunction with said raising and lowering means constituting means to support said interrupter in its circuit controlling position in the cell.

23. The combination of fixed line terminals, a support disposed beneath said terminals, a circuit interrupter having wheels on which it is movable horizontally on said support into and out of operative position beneath said line terminals, said interrupter having upstanding interrupter terminals which are adapted to cooperate with said flxed line terminals, and means to raise and lower said interrupter and its wheels vertically toward and away from said support, to

, effect the engagement and disengagement of said interrupter and line terminals, and vertical guiding means for said interrupter, said raising and lowering means constituting in combination with said guiding means the means which supports the interrupter in service with said terminals in engagement.

24. An electric switch having raising and lowering means for it, locking means for said raising and lowering means, manual means movable between a locked and unlocked position for controlling the operation of said locking means, and means including a lost-motion connection between said manual operating means and locking means for delaying the unlocking of said locking means until said manual means has been moved substantially to its unlocked position.

25. An electric switch having raising and lowering means for it, means for locking said raising and lowering means from operation, manual means for controlling said locking means, means governed by said raising and lowering means for disabling said manual means from operation to release said locking means except in the fully raised or lowered position of said raising and lowering means, and means including a lost-motion connection between said locking means and said manual control means arranged to effect the unlocking of said raising and lowering means only after said manual means has been moved into a position to be free from said disabling means.

26. The combination of fixed circuit terminals, a circuit interrupter having interrupter terminals adapted to cooperate with said fixed terminals, means to raise and lower said interrupter to effect the engagement and disengagement of said terminals, and locking mechanism interconnecting the interrupter and raising and lowering means arranged to prevent the operation of both under certain conditions and including means associated with the interrupter to prevent operation of said raising and lowering means except when the interrupter is completely open, and means associated with the raising and lowering means arranged to prevent operation of said locking mechanism to unlock the interrupter except when the interrupter is in its fully raised and fully lowered positions.

nals adaptedto cooperate with said fixed terminals, means to raise and lower said interrupter to effect the engagement and disengagement of said terminals, and locking mechanism interconnecting the interrupter and raising and lowering'means arranged to prevent the operation of both under certain conditions and including means associated with the interrupter to prevent operation of said raising and lowering means except when the interrupter is completely open, and means associated with the raising and lowering means arranged to prevent operation of said locking mechanism to unlock the interrupter except when the interrupter is in its fully raised and fully lowered positions, said locking mechanism having means whereby the raising and lowering means is unlocked only during the final movement of the locking mechanism in an unlocking direction.

28. The combination with fixed line terminals of a circuit interrupter which has interrupter terminals and is movable toward and away from said line terminals to effect the engagement and disengagement of said interrupter and line terminals, said interrupter also having operating mechanism by which the circuit through it is controlled, means to move said interrupter toward and away from said line terminals, and interlocking mechanism connecting said interrupter operating mechanism and said moving means arranged to permit the operation of both only under certain conditions, said operating mechanism having means associated with said interlocking mechanism which permits the operation of said interlocking mechanism to unlock said moving means only when said interrupter is completely open, and said moving means having means controlling the operation of said interlocking mechanism arranged to permit the operation of said operating mechanism only when said interrupter is at its extreme limits of movement.

29. The combination with fixed line terminals of a circuit interrupter which has interrupter terminals and is movable toward and away from said line terminals to effectthe engagement and disengagement of said interrupter and line terminals, said interrupter also having operating mechanism by which the circuit through it is controlled, means to move said interrupter to ward and away from said line terminals, and interlocking mechanism connecting said interrupter operating mechanism and said moving means arranged to permit the operation of both only under certain conditions, operating mechanism having means associated with said interlocking mechanism which permits the operation of said interlocking mechanism to unlock said moving means only when said interrupter is completely open, and said moving means having means controlling the cperation of said interlocking mechanism arranged to permit the operation of said operating mechanism only when said interrupter is at its extreme limits of movement, said interlocking mechanism having means by which it operates to release said moving means for operation only at the final part of its extent of movement in an unlocking direction.

30. Electric switching apparatus comprising a stationary structure, circuit terminals thereon, a horizontally-movable electric switch having terminals and movable vertically to engage its terminals with said circuit terminals, a vertically-mov- 27 The bi t of fixed i it t i lgfiable frame which is located in front of and carries a circuit interrupter having interrupter termisaid switch and has upper and lower guide rolls,

horizontally, and lifting mechanism carried by and located below said frame for raising said frame and switch, said guide rolls and said guide member constituting in conjunction with said lifting mechanism the means for supporting the switch in its circuit controlling position.

FREDERICK H. MACNEIL.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION:

Patent No. 1,944,092. January 16, 1934.

FREDERICK H. MAGNEIL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, iine 82 claim 8, strike out the syllable and words "rupter unit constituting an integral part of" and insert instead frame and a circuit interrupter carried by; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that the same may conform to the record of the case in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of February, A. D. 1934.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner of Patents.

CERTIFICATE OF CORRECTION Patent. No. 1,944,092. .ianuary 16, 1934:.

FREDERICK H. MACNEIL.

It is hereby certified that error appears in the printed specification. of the above numbered patent requiring correction as follows: Page 6, line 82, claim 8, strike out the syllable and words "rupter unit constituting an integral part of" and insert instead frame and a circuit interrupter carried by; and that the said Letters Patent should be read with this correction therein that; the same may conform to the record of the ease in the Patent Office.

Signed and sealed this 20th day of February, A. D. 1934.

F. M. Hopkins (Seal) Acting Commissioner at Patents. 

